I was living in the Middle East with my husband and
children. Life was really busy and Georgette Heyer was my favourite comfort
reading. A friend and I used to discuss her novels and we often wished we had
some sort of Regency companion that would explain some of the
fascinating-sounding things in her books. We wanted to know what a barouche
looked like and a Spencer and a half-robe and what was ratafia and how did one
'box the watch'? Things like that intrigued me so much that after we left
Bahrain I started researching Georgette's historical novels. I became so
impressed with her historical accuracy, her wonderful Regency language and her
meticulous attention to detail that I wanted to know more about the woman
behind the books. It turned out that she was intensely private and that there
was far more to know about her life and writing than I'd ever imagined and that's
what started me on the research path.

In your research, was
there anything you found about Georgette that surprised you most?

Many things, but what struck me most was how she used her
novels as an outlet for her emotions. Georgette believed in self-control when
faced with a crisis or a personal tragedy. She was very British in that way and
approved of the 'stiff upper-lip' response to hardship. She rarely talked about
the deeper emotions but naturally she still felt them and her writing was her
way of letting them out. After her father died so suddenly she closed off that
part of her life and rarely ever spoke of it again but she carried the grief of
her loss with her to the end of her life. I remember reading Bath Tangle and being struck by the
scene where the heroine, Lady Serena, has met her former lover, Major Kirkby,
and he openly expresses his sympathy at the death of her father; Heyer writes:
'As always, she was rendered uncomfortable by spoken sympathy. "Thank you.
The shock was severe, and the sense of loss must remain with me for long and
long, but you must not think me borne down by it, or out of spirits. I go on
very well."' It is as though Heyer is speaking for herself and this is
only one of many instances where I see and hear her in her novels.

What was the most
exciting part of doing the research?

Discovering the untapped archives of Georgette's letters. I
remember receiving permission from her son, Sir Richard Rougier, to get copies
of the amazing archive of Heyer letters at the University of Tulsa. They sent photocopies
of all 321 letters to me and there were over 600 pages. I'll never forget
opening the box and taking out the first letter – written when she was eighteen
about writing a sequel to The Black Moth.
I actually criedbecause it was such an exciting and emotional moment. There
were lots more exciting moments during the research but some of the most
thrilling were when I was in the British Library searching for Heyer's early
short stories. I trawled literally thousands of magazines, but the feeling when
I'd turn a page and seeGeorgette Heyer's name underneath a new short story
title – that was truly amazing!

What advice do you have for aspiring authors on how to get
started on biography writing – any important tips?

Cast your research net as
wide as you can for information about your subject. Follow up every possible
research line, Read where your subject read and, if possible, visit every house
in which they lived and any other place that was important to them. One vital
tip (which may seem really obvious but which took me time to learn), above all,
focus on the subject of your book and make them central to everything you
write. I found out lots of great new information about people and things that
I'm sure some readers would have found fascinating but unless it enhanced the
readers' understanding and insight into Georgette Heyer, I cut it.

This book is a must read for die-hard Heyer fans.Incredibly detailed, the book tells of
Georgette’s life through a meticulously researched and fascinating read.Apart from the chronology of Heyer’s book
writing and process, there is the biographical aspect that brings you right
into her life.

Who was this clever author whose ongoing captivating writing
has us all hooked? What was she like? In GEORGETTE HEYER, author Jennifer
Kloester reveals a woman who, contrarily to her very reserved exterior persona,
spoke through her characters; allowing them to feel and express as she may
never have been able to do so herself.

The book is filled with interesting aspects that bring you
closer to understanding Georgette Heyer.For instance, I was surprised to read that she didn't accept any
opinions on her books, except those from her husband.He was the only one whose opinion she trusted.She also allowed him to help her with the
plots.

As a writer of historical fiction, Georgette was brilliant
and after reading this excellent book I am of the opinion that her sparks of
genius were also mirrored by bouts of eccentric thoughts.For instance, when Georgette was ill, and at
some point it happened rather frequently- she would immediately think that
death was imminent.

Indirectly, through Georgette Heyer’s letters, much of what
she felt was revealed and these also formed the basis by which we discover the
depth of her person.I learnt so much
about her life and her work! This gem is sure to satisfy all curiosity on the famous author- it does not disappoint. I highly recommend GEORGETTE HEYER, by Jennifer Kloester- it’s extremely
well researched and offers a wealth of info that’s fascinating to read.

GIVEAWAY TIME!! Thank you Sourcebooks!

To Enter to Win a Copy of this book:

1- You must be a Follower of this
blog

2- For Additional Chances,
post on FB, Twitter, Linkedin, Blog and elsewhere! Just come back and post your
link in comments.

14 comments:

I'm a big fan of Georgette Heyer and would love to learn more about her. Being from Oklahoma, I was fascinated to learn that an archive of her letters is housed by the University of Tulsa. Would love to know why UT has them. Thanks for the giveaway.lcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)comGFC follower

It's great that so many readers love Heyer's novels and I really hope the biography enhances your enjoyment of her writing. Re: the University of Tulsa, Linda, American universities are wonderful repositories of so many important documents. They really seem to value them and the Georgette Heyer archive is no exception. The University of Tulsa bought Heyer's letters from a private collector in the late 1990s. He in turn had bought the collection from the London literary agency which had once represented her. It seems that her agent had an idea that she would go on selling after her death and so he kept all Georgette's letters. How clever was that?!

I haven't read Georgette Heyer in years and I must admit I simply skipped over words I didn't understand without researching what they meant. This sounds like a wonderful book - how exciting to receive all those letters.Anncozyintexas[AT]yahoo[DOT]comGoing to sign up as a follower now - love your blog.

Georgette's novels are wonderful to go back to, especially after a long absence. There's so much to discover and as Denise said hours of pleasure! Good luck with the giveaway and thanks for all the lovely comments.